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comic books

Contrary to what many people believe, I used to be a big reader when I was a kid.. I’d mainly read comic books, and Harry Potter. Naturally, this usually made me super excited for the “book fair” that came to my elementary school every year, especially as newer volumes came out. But, if there was one thing that always caught my attention [even if it did scare me at the time..] at these “fairs”, it was the Goosebumps books. These books always had covers that would make me feel interested, but I’d shy away – those were the ‘scary’ books. But one day, I got interested enough to pick one up and read it; that book was “Go Eat Worms!“

It was eerie and it was actually fairly scary; at least as far as kid’s horror went at the time. But more than anything: I couldn’t put it down.. Slowly but surely, I started reading [and trying to collect] the rest of the series, each one being better than the one before it! After learning that there was a total of 62 books, [check out the titles and plots for each and every one of them here!] I had started a good collection of them, until I lost them all in a move to another town/city – BUT. This, of course, led me to watching the TV Show that was based on the books. Sure, it’s cheesy as hell now, but back then; it was one of the scarier shows I would have ever laid my eyes on. Even if it did scare me, I kept watching; testing myself to see just how far I could watch without getting scared. It slowly became one of my favorite shows, which I will still watch today, purely out of nostalgic reasons.

Now, the reason behind this post isn’t so much because I’ve been feeling nostalgic [okay, that’s part of the reason..] but because I’ve actually begun to start collecting them [again] now-a-days: 15 years later! I’ve been checking out everywhere from Kijiji, to Value Village[where I picked up a handful of them the other day!] and considering many of them have become ‘out of print’ – unless you count the re-prints, I’m glad to know these secondhand stores exist to help out. For those curious, I now have 18 of the original series of Goosebumps, which I plan on collecting the remaining 44 books; it’s just a matter of when and if I can find them.

Also, because I fully expect someone to ask: I will be listing the books I do have below, in numerical order [at least, as best as I can; since there is gaps between some numbers!] I’m just so glad that I can relive this part of my childhood, one book at a time. Be sure to click on the book’s title to see the cover art!

[note: these are NOT the ones that I own, I may own SOME of these ones above but this ISN’T my photo!]

As you can tell, I’m missing quite a few: 44 to be exact, but you know what? For what it’s worth, I think I have quite the collection for someone who just started re-collecting a series of books. Even if these books did scare me once upon a time, I’m glad to know that they’re still around, even if they are becoming increasingly difficult to find..

So now I turn to you. Did you ever read Goosebumps? Did you have a favorite out of them all? Why was it your favorite? Let me know in a comment or two! I want to know if I’m the only one who used to love getting scared by something so terribly cheesy.

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

I always find it fascinating when an actor or a movie Director steps out of their comfort zone to try something new. A classic example that I think of is Martin Scorsese, who followed up the masterpiece that is Shutter Islandwith a film adaptation of the children’s book “The Invention Of Hugo Cabret.” [Hugo] Hugo wasn’t a bad movie at all, it’s just that it felt so much more different than what we came to expect from Scorsese. The same could be said for Rob Zombie: who was working on The Devil’s Rejects, which was violent, filled with gore and filled with inappropriate themes such as necrophilia; when he came up and started working with the concept/art for the animated movie we’re talking about today:The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto. When it was first released, it came with very mixed reviews: saying things like “it’s way too inappropriate” or “it’s not funny – it’s sick and perverse!” Some people even said it deserves an X-rating! Even fans of Zombie‘s work weren’t entirely happy, I remember reading some reviews saying it was disappointing..but I have to say otherwise – though, maybe I’m bias. As with most things I talk about, expect spoilers; because I really couldn’t say much if I didn’t spoil it. If you’ve seen the film, or you are perfectly fine with spoilers – we’re starting..right after the jump.

Let’s start from the beginning: the plot of The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto is completely different than what we’re used to from Rob Zombie; because instead of a murderous family, [The Fireflys] we find this film to be a comedic homage to horror, action and exploitation films…it’s also animated! The plot isn’t really anything special, but it revolves around a super-hero luchador, the titular El Superbeasto who, along with his sister Suzi X, must try to save the world from the evil Dr. Satan, [but not thisDr. Satan] who plans to try and gain ultimate power by having sex with an swearing, big breasted stripper by the name of Velvet von Black.. Also, Nazi Zombies are in the film, because they can be. seriously. But you know what? I like it – it’s different, and the fact that it’s an animation makes the whole thing feel goofy, and I like that it isn’t trying to take itself too seriously, even the music is only there as a way to tell the audiences what is happening during that particular scene – It’s like it knows it’s a parody, but there’s one true reason I love this movie so much, what is that reason? If you’re curious enough, you should read on!

[note: the whole catfight scene – as seen here – is arguably one of the most entertaining bloodfests I’ve seen in a long time! The music during really sets the scene..]

The single greatest things about the film is that it includes [many] cameo appearances by many iconic horror figures including King Kong, Dracula, The Bride Of Frankenstein, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Michael Myers and The Creature From The Black Lagoon! Even Jack Torrence from The Shining makes an appearance! If that isn’t enough, we also see two very special characters from Zombie‘s previous work, House Of 1000 Corpses; Captain Spaulding and Otis B. Driftwood in the bar scene. [don’t believe me?]Zombie‘s wife, the [extremely] beautiful Sheri Moon Zombie also provides the voice for Suzi X. Also, while not strictly horror film, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto is notable for its genre casting, which includes many[voice] actors who have appeared in Rob Zombie‘s other works such as Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and even Danny Trejo! It really shows Rob‘s dedication to the genre of horror, placing them in his film[s] as an homage – which works really well! It feels like he’s paying them tribute, almost thanking them for being an inspiration!

I guess realistically though, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto isn’t the most fantastic film on the planet. It’s [really]good, and it’s a fun cult film to watch if you need something ‘scary, but not really scary’, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it my favorite Rob Zombie film, because that title still is held by The Devil’s Rejects. So now I turn to you, dear reader: have you watched El Superbeasto? If you have, what were your thoughts on it? Did you actually enjoy the film, like I did; or did you find it disappointing – like many fans of Rob Zombie? Let me know in a comment or two! Leave it to Rob Zombie to have a smokin’ hot blond hide out as a werewolf Nazi.. I mean, I’m confused how I feel about that!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article/review, please take a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been posted; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, [even if I have been busy lately – more on a later date!] so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

Though I’m not into anime as much as I used to be, [I’m fairly picky with what I watch now-a-days] one series in particular had me gripped from the very beginning: Attack On Titan. In fact, I’m so excited, I just had to share these official teaser poster[s] for it’s live-action adaptation! [for those purists: the original anime is also on Netflix!]

Based on what the writers to this two-part live action movie had to say, the Titans are actually larger than the biggest and baddest Godzilla.[to put that into perspective, the Titans in this film stand at a whopping 120m as opposed to the 108m Godzilla in Gareth Edwards’ 2014 film]and that’s not even the best part; unlike most monster movies these days, the live action adaptation of Attack On Titan‘s Titans will be a mixof both CGI and practical Special FX – under the supervision of special effects director Onoue Katsuro. This means the effects of said Titans are going to have the same feeling as Jurassic Park‘s dinosaurs. If you haven’t heard of the show, haven’t watched it, or you just aren’t aware of the story that the film is going to follow, the plot is as follows:

“The sudden arrival of the Titans–mysterious, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour human beings one after the other–brings mankind to the brink of extinction. Fast-forward more than 100 years later. What remains of the human population now live in relative peace behind massive walls that were erected to defend themselves against the Titans. Yet once again, that peace is shattered when a Titan measuring over 50 meters tall smashes through the wall, allowing a horde of other Titans to enter. The protagonist, Eren, had been resigned to a life confined behind these walls. Nothing I do would make a difference, he thought. But when he joins the “Outer Wall Restoration Team” set up to fight against the Titans, he is reunited with Mikasa, a childhood friend and someone he had long rued not being able to save. The new recruits embark on a mission to obtain explosives, which had become rare and precious, before getting past the waves of Titans to plug the gaping hole in the wall, with humanity’s survival on the line. Will there be a future for Eren and Mikasa, and for mankind itself?”

the entire cast has been revealed for Shinji Higuchi’s Japanese film [meaning it’ll be dubbed, no doubt] in a series of character banners. There will also be a wide variety of new characters, which is pretty exciting if you ask me! The characters look fan-fucking-tastic and I’m extremely excited for this to be released. Below, I have included all the released character banners for your viewing pleasure: [13 character posters total] and then at the very end of this post; you’ll see our enemy – I mean, that Titan looks fucking huge!

Usually, this would be the part where I explain the part I’m most excited for in this film and/or what I’m hoping they include.. [from the source material, in this case; the original manga] but, I don’t want to spoiler anything for anyone in the middle of watching the series, or that are currently reading the manga. I will say this though, I sincerely hope they add more than just the one Titan.[which can be seen on a poster below] I have the highest of hopes for this film, which will be released in Summer 2015, so long as it holds strong to the original anime. [which I have a sudden urge to watch now]

many a days, I feel like I was grown in the wrong year[s]: I was born in 1992, yet many of my favorite movies/cartoons are from the 1980s. With heroes like Transformers, The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, He-Man: Masters Of The Universe, even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I enjoyed them all.[just look at that artwork above, though!] I was the kind of guy who used to come home from [grade] school and sit down for hours on end, just watch these shows and obsess over these superheroes/super-humans who could do things that I couldn’t even dream of doing. I was caught up in a world that made me feel special; like I belonged somewhere. To make these shows even better than they already were[or I should say “are”] is that when the show went to a commercial break – we wouldn’t lose the fun since we’d get awesome ads for action figures[which I wish I could say I still had somewhere] based on these superheroes!

Unfortunately, most of these heroes are unknown [or even -dare I say- obsolete] to the kids of today: saying that they are ‘old school’ is almost an insult, as I feel that my heroes should still be valid [at least in some aspect] today. I mean sure, there’s someinteresting super-humans that exist in television for kids now a days; but Ben 10 is not nearly as cool as the kids from Voltron! In this next part, I’m going to talk about some of my favorite heroes from yesteryear, and what makes them so damn special to me:

If you were a male child growing up in the late 80s to early 90s, chances are you watched He-Man: Masters Of The Universe. This show greatly influenced my interest in the world of fantasy. It had demons, ghosts and even talking evil skulls! He-Man was what every guy my age was striving to be. With Cringer The Battle Catby his side, He-Man was fucking awesome, and that’s the highest compliment I can give him.

With the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfilm coming out in theaters today, I couldn’t get away without mentioning the classic that began the brothers’ adventures! [well, technically the comic books did, but same difference..] These guys were the inspiration for this post, primarily because they were my childhood. Along with Spider-Man: The Animated Series [from 1990], I watched these guys religiously. I’m almost terrified to see the new film, for fear of ruining my childhood friends: the turtles.

Although it is [somehow] still running under Power Rangers: Megaforce, the original series [Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers] is what I remember most. Seeing these regular teenagers going from school kids to superheroes used to blow my mind with jealousy. I’m pretty sure I even went so far as to write in a school project [at the frail age of 9] that I wanted to be a Power Ranger when I became an adult! The problems with that hope is it’s still something I still secretly wish now!

So while we have newersuper-humans helping Earth on our TV screens, I can’t help feeling like the classics from the 80s were more memorable [this is just my opinion, though]. I keep hoping for a new classic that feels like the older ones. [if there is one, let me know!] I guess I’m just a sucker for nostalgia though – maybe I’ll just stick to the heroes I know and love, and leave the newer ones alone..for now.

now that’s a collage of heroes if I ever saw one! [Credit – unknown artist]